


The Confusion Ending

by HMSquared



Category: The Stanley Parable
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Bookstores, It wasn't stressful, Just...pleasant, Memory Loss, Pain, Panic, Snark, The Confusion Ending, The Confusion Ending Schedule, The Void, Time Loop, i had a lot of fun writing this one
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-05-02
Updated: 2019-05-02
Packaged: 2020-02-16 02:23:53
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,256
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18682207
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/HMSquared/pseuds/HMSquared
Summary: In which the Narrator is way less confused or rebellious, and Stanley is just along for the ride.





	The Confusion Ending

**Author's Note:**

> As you might have been able to tell, this is basically what would have happened if the Confusion Ending had gone exactly as planned.
> 
> Enjoy!

When Stanley and the Narrator discovered the Confusion Ending Schedule, they had no idea how screwed they were. The timer was still going, ticking away, and as Stanley tried to take everything in, the Narrator ranted.

"They really expect us to reset the game, what is it, four more times?! Ridiculous!" Stanley tried not to laugh at his comment. This whole situation was ridiculous; a man was narrating a story in his head, and they had gotten wildly off track. Oh, and apparently he was part of a video game. That was also something.

As Stanley read the rest of the schedule, he realized how much danger they were in. If everything went according to plan, he and the Narrator would both die, and what would happen then? Would the game restart once again, bring them back to the office? Or would they both be truly gone, lost to the whims of time forever? He honestly had no idea.

"I meant what I said earlier, Stanley," the Narrator declared, startling him. "We're the masters of this story, we don't have to listen to some schedule. Right? I mean, nothing is stopping us from just sitting here and waiting." Stanley nodded in agreement. The Narrator was omnipotent, he could prevent the game from being restarted. At least, that was his assumption.

There was a swivel chair in the corner, and Stanley sat down. Hours passed, the clock on the wall not moving a muscle. It was a little boring, but much better than dying. For a while, everything was perfect.

"Stanley, do you smell something?" the Narrator asked. Putting his nose to the air, Stanley sniffed. Yes, he did smell something, but what, he didn't know. "It's quite peculiar, isn't it? There's no one else in the building, just us." Before the Narrator could continue his thought, he suddenly hissed and shouted, "Argh!"

Pain hit Stanley like a ton of bricks. Head throbbing, he tried to stand up, the room spinning violently. His knees buckled, and he hit the floor as a loud ringing filled his ears. The Narrator was screaming in pain, and it was only right before the game restarted that they both realized what the smell was: blood.

 

"All of his coworkers were gone. What could it mean? Stanley decided to visit the meeting room; perhaps he had simply missed a memo."

Stanley sat up. He was back in his office, lying on the floor. His head was throbbing and, taking several deep breaths, he slowly got to his feet.

Were they still on the Confusion Ending's schedule? He wasn't quite sure. Yes, there was the headache, but...he really wasn't sure.

Stanley left his office and slowly walked down the hall to the room with the two doors. He felt uneasy and confused. If the Narrator did know what was going on, he was doing an excellent job of hiding it.

"When he reached a set of two open doors, Stanley went through the door on his left." Simple enough. However, when Stanley tried to follow this command, he froze. His feet were stuck to the floor, almost as if someone had super glued them. "What are you doing, Stanley?" the Narrator chuckled. "I know you're not excited about this story yet, but it's a good one. Trust me."

 _He doesn't remember_ , Stanley realized, which meant they were indeed right on schedule. He couldn't advance, and the Narrator didn't remember a thing; the only thing left to do was-

 

Stanley stepped out of his office to find the Stanley Parable Adventure Line waiting for him. The Narrator chuckled,

"Would you look at this, Stanley! Someone's trying to intrude on our story!" Stanley nodded in agreement. If he could influence the Narrator enough, maybe they could break the loop. Maybe he had a chance at saving them both, even if it meant following the story to the letter. "But you know what? Following it might be fun, a nice change of pace." Or, you know, it could kill everything in sight.

Stanley reluctantly followed the Line, the Narrator chattering in excitement. The line led them through the breakroom and down the hall, where they discovered the broom closet. The Narrator said, not even attempting to hide his confusion,

"I don't know what's so exciting about a broom closet, Stanley, but...there's a story on the other side, and I guess we should follow it." Stanley remained still; he knew what was on the other side of that door, and nothing was stopping him from ignoring it.

Panic suddenly filled him. Before he could stop himself, Stanley rushed inside the broom closet and shut the door behind him, panting. The Narrator started to ask a question, then trailed off.

They were back in the office. The copy machine had been turned over, paper scattered everywhere. The fern was upside down, dirt coating the floor. A few doors had been knocked off their hinges, and when Stanley tried to touch one of the chairs, his hand went right through it.

"I don't understand," the Narrator whispered in confusion. "Is there supposed to be a story here, because I don't see one. In fact, it's almost as if the office is-"

 _Deteriorating_.

 

There was nothing; no office, no story. Just an inky black void.

Stanley was angry the Narrator had restarted. Was everything about a story to him? Why couldn't he wake up and realize he was a pawn, just like everyone else?

"I guess there's nothing we can do but explore, Stanley," the Narrator chirped perkily. Shaking his head and chewing his tongue, Stanley started walking. He wandered in the blackness, the Narrator following close behind. After ten minutes, he stopped; the restarts were getting to him. "Stanley, are you alright?" the Narrator asked. Stanley sat down, trying to catch his breath. "Look, there's a bookstore. Maybe they'll have something good."

There were no workers in the bookstore, just shelves of books. Settling into a chair, Stanley closed his eyes and savored the air around him. For five minutes, he was at peace. Then the Narrator interrupted.

"Nothing is interesting here, Stanley. In fact, there's no story. Maybe we should just-"

 _No!_ Grabbing a piece of paper, Stanley quickly scribbled a message.  _I'm begging you, don't restart._

"But Stanley, there's no story, and without a story, we don't have a purpose."

 _You don't know that._ Stanley could feel tears forming in his eyes, and for a good reason. He knew exactly what would happen if they restarted, and the worst part? There was nothing he could do to stop it.

"Do you have some grand argument for me, Stanley? Hmm?" Sitting back down, Stanley shook his head and closed his eyes. Sighing, the Narrator restarted.

 

The office was back. Standing up, shaking, Stanley walked out into the hallway. He uselessly waited for the Narrator to speak, knowing full well he was gone.

There was no purpose left for him. He couldn't remember what the Narrator had wanted from him, where the story was supposed to go. And even if Stanley tried to change things, it wouldn't be of any use to him. The Narrator was the only one capable of restarting this adventure, which meant he couldn't screw up.

Hours passed. No one came to save him, and his body deteriorated. By the time Stanley got back to the Confusion Ending Schedule, he was crawling from malnutrition. As the clock flipped over, letting him know he had been playing for one hour, he finally passed out.

**Author's Note:**

> Please comment!


End file.
